Pipe handling apparatus



1966 J. H. CONWAY ETAL 3,229,313

PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1964 'INVENTORJAMES H. CONWAY RALPH R. BAKER ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1966 J. H. CONWAY ETAL3,229,313

PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6 45"I l 4O! k 5:: Q INVENTOR WA JAMES H. CONWAY I as 110 RALPH R. BA R l?ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,229,313 PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS James H.Conway, '12 Collins St., and Ralph R. Baker, Spring Hill Road, both ofSalisbury, Md. Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,405 3 Claims. (Cl. -89)The present invention relates to a pipe working apparatus or machine andin particular to an apparatus for cutting, threading and connectinglarge diameter pipes and fittings which is generally diflicult when donemanually.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in whichone end of a long section of pipe or cylindrical work piece may be heldand rotated and the opposite end is rotatably held in position so that apipe cutter, threader or fitting may be held in a stationary positionfor cutting, threading or screwing up fittings and smaller sections ofpipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thisnature which may be easily and conveniently dismantled for erection innew locations when a new location is warranted.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus havingcertain parts collapsible and other parts removable in order that theapparatus may be conveniently handled and transported.

While several objects of the invention have been pointed out, otherobjects, uses and advantages of the invention will become more apparentas the nature of the invention becomes more fully disclosed and the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificationand in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the pipe handling apparatus asshown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 33 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the elements of theapparatus.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view of one form of support for one of theelements of the apparatus taken on line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged end view of the apparatus looking from left toright from the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View in elevation of theelements C taken on line 77 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the element Ctaken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of the locking elementshown in FIGURE 8 for the supporting means E for carrying the element B.

FIGURE 10 is a section taken on line 1010 of FIG- URE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary vertical view of one end of the apparatusshowing the element C folded in a parallel plane with the track.

In referring to the illustrations, like numerals are used and point outlike and similar parts throughout the several views.

The invention is preferably referred to as an apparatus for handlingpipe, but may be referred to at times as a machine for the same purpose.The apparatus is provided with a track A having two rails 12 and 14. Therails are spaced apart and parallel with each other and extend the fulllength of the apparatus. Each rail is provided with a vertical portionand inwardly inclined horizontal flanges 16, 17, 18 and 19. The tracks12 and 14- are held in parallel relationship by the ties 20, 21, 22, 23

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and 24 which are preferably welded to the rails. ever, they may bebolted or riveted if desired.

The rails and the tie members may be supported upwardly at a convenientheight by the legs 25 which are braced by the cross-tie members 26 and27 and laterally by tie members 28 and 29. These legs and braces arepreferably held together and to the rails by bolts 30, in order thatthey may be removed from the rails when it is desired to move theapparatus.

Movable along the track adjacent one end thereof is a vise unit B havingmeans for holding and rotating a chuck 32. The chuck 32 is provided witha short shaft 33' which is held in the rotatable vise unit B by any ofthe conventional means, such as, radially movable jaws. In thisarrangement different size chucks having the same size shafts may beconveniently interchanged in the same vise for holding the end ofdilferent size pipe, or cylindrical work piece. The chuck is providedwith engaging means 33 for engaging one end of the pipe, or work piece34 for rotating the same to perform work thereon, such as, cutting athread on the opposite end thereof by a stationary threading tool asshown at 69. The thread is cut by placing the die tool over the outerend of the pipe allowing the tool handle 69' to rest on a stationarymember 37 to keep the tool from rotating with the pipe. As the pipe isrotated, it moves into the tool which cuts the thread.

The member 37 is preferably supported by having it slidably receivablewithin a hollow tube 38 and may be adjusted longitudinally of the trackto take care of the tool being used on the outer end of the pipe 34.

If the pipe is of some length it is most desirable to hold the centerportion up in a line with the pipe engaging jaws, which will be referredto later.

Adjacent the end of the track opposite the vise unit B, is a pipe rest Cshown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. The pipe rest is for supporting theouter end 34' of the pipe 34 and for holding it in position while it isrotated by the rotatable vise jaws 32. The outer end 34' of the pipe 34is normally extended a short distance through and beyond the pipe rest Cwhen a thread is to be cut thereon, the threading die 69 beingpositioned adjacent the rest. If the die is too far from the rest thepipe will spring and the thread may possibly be ragged and not cleanlycut.

The pipe rest C is provided with an opening and may be mounted to thetrack in any suitable manner. In the drawings (see FIG. 6) the rest isshown supported upon a tube 42 which in turn is mounted on the rails 12and 14 by means of the pillow blocks 44 and 46. The rest C is formed intwo parts 40 and 40' and is hingedly held on one side by the pin 41 andon the opposite side by a latch 43, which is normally operated by theextension arm 43'. The latch 43 is adapted to engage the portion 40 tohold the same in engagement with the portion 40". The portion 40 of therest is provided with adjustable screws 48 and 4S and the portion 40' isprovided with adjustable screws 49 and 49'. These screws aresubstantially evenly spaced about the rest C and are radially disposedtherein. The inner end of the screws 48, 48', 49 and 49 rest against theouter surface of leaf springs 45, 45', 47 and 47. One end of each of thesprings is secured to the inner surface of the opening in the rest C byscrews or bolts 45". The inner end of the screws engage the outersurface of the springs adjacent their unattached ends. The unattachedends of each of the springs are turned upwardly to form lips 45' inorder that the pipe, or the work piece 34 may be freely rotated ineither direction without fear of the pipe becoming engaged with theinner ends of the springs. The split rest also provides a means foropening up the rest Howfor conveniently laying the pipe vertically ontothe rest. The rest is held to the tube 42 by a bracket 51 and 51 towhich is attached collars 50 and 50' and is held in position by a screw52 carried by a brace 53. The screw 52 is adapted to have its inner end52 engage the tube 42 for securing the rest in place. The rest may belowered to a horizontal position when moving the apparatus to preventdamage to the rest and for more convenient handling, as shown in FIGURE11.

The rotatable vise at the opposite end of the track is preferablyreversable and is operated at a very low speed through a gear chain (notshown) from any well known power source.

The support D is for supporting the center portion of long lengths ofpipe between the rotating jaws 32 and the rest C. This support islikewise supported on a tube 55, similar to rest C. The tube 55 issupported on the track rails by having the ends of the tube welded toplates 56 and 57 carried at each end of the tube. These plates slidealong the flanges 17 and 19 of the rails 14 and 12 respectively, andallows the support to be positioned at any convenient place along thetrack. The pipe support D is carried in a bracket 58 having an opening59 for receiving a tube like portion 60 of the support. The portion isheld in position by a screw 61 which may be tightened on the portion 60at the desired height of the support. The upper end of the support isprovided with V members 62 and 63 to form a cradle to receive the pipe.The V members are also provided with rollers 62' and 63 Ltor allowingthe pipe to be more easily rotated. The bracket 58 is also provided witha second opening 64 formed at right angles to the opening 59. Thissecond opening is for engaging the tube 55 and is held in positionthereon by a screw 6-5. This support may also be rotated about the tube55, by loosening the screw 65 to place it in a position parallel withthe track, such as that described for the rest C, to prevent any damageto it and for convenience in moving and storing of the apparatus.

Referring again to the vise unit B comprising the rotatable jaws and therotating means for rotating the jaws are all preferably mounted to bemovable along the track and is normally positioned at one end thereofand at the opposite end of the track from the rest C. This vise unit Bis illustrated as being supported upon a table, or framework E, shownbest in FIGURE 5. The table E is provided with holes 70 for attachingthe vise unit thereto by suitable bolts 71. However, any otherconvenient means may be used if desired, such as, by welding. The tableE is provided with side supporting members 72 and 74 extending alongeach side thereof. Rotatably attached to the supporting members 72 and74 are rollers or wheels 75, 76, 77 and 78. The rollers or Wheels 75 and76 are rotatably carried at one end of the table on fixed axles 79 and80. These rollers or wheels are adapted to run along the upper surfacesof the flanges 17 and 19 of the rails 12 and 14. Rollers or wheels 77and 78 are rotatably supported on the axles 81 and 82. These axlemembers are adapted to be movable laterally to cause the wheels 77 and78 to engage the rails and act as a brake to the carriage for holdingthe same in a predetermined position along the track. The braking actionis accomplished by having the inner ends of the axles 81 and 82 threadedwith right and left threads as shown at 81' and 82. Suspended from thetable is a bracket 83 into which is rotatably mounted an elongatedelement 84. This element 84 is provided with a Wheel 85 fixed about itscircumference for rotating the same within the bracket 83. The element84 is provided with a horizontal threaded opening of a right and lefthand thread, to receive the similar thread carried by the inner ends ofthe axle members 81 and 82. The wheels are held adjacent the ends of therespective axle member by a fixed collar, similar to the one shown at 86in FIGURE 9. By this arrangement when the wheel 85 is rotated in onedirection the rollers or wheels 77 and 78 will be moved laterally toengage the rails and fix the position of the carriage relative to thetrack. When the wheel is moved in the opposite direction, the axles aremoved inwardly bringing the wheel to a point where they will roll alongthe upper surfaces of the flanges 17 and 19 Without any excess frictionwith the remainder of the rail. However, if desired only one of thewheels 77 or 78 may be moved laterally to brake the carriage by havingonly one of the axles 81 or 82 movable by the rotating element 85 andthe other axle stationary.

In use as a thread cutter, the rest C is first set upright, if notalready in this position. The rest is then opened and the pipe is laidinto the rest and the V shaped center support D. The end of the pipeadjacent the vise is inserted into the rotatable jaws and securedthereto by the elements 33. The rest C is then closed and latched and ifnot already adjusted, the screws 48 to 49 are adjusted for rotatablysupporting that particular diameter pipe. At this point the support D isadjusted to its proper height to support the center of the pipe. Aftenthe pipe has been placed into operating position, a thread cutter die 69is placed over the end of the pipe and the handle 69 is positioned torest against the element 37, after which, the jaw rotating means is setin operation. The rotating means rotates the pipe which causes it tofeed into the threading tool, thereby cutting the thread on the outerend of the pipe. When the thread has been sufliciently cut, the drivingmeans for the jaws is reversed to remove the die from the pipe, or themember 37 may be pushed back into the member 38 to allow the handles 69'of the threading tool to be swung about, whereby the threading die maybe manually removed from the end of the pipe when the rotatable jaws arestopped.

The rotating means is shown as an electric motor but may be of anydesirable power unit, such as, an engine of any kind.

The apparatus has a number of uses, that is, it is used to assist incutting pipe in various lengths, by substituting a pipe cutter for thethread cutting tool, also sections of pipe and fitting may be assembledas shown in FIG- URE 2, whereby several lengths of shorter pieces ofpipe may be screwed into a fitting 35 or screwed together. The varioussections of pipe and the fitting may be held in position by attaching tothe pipe a pipe wrench and allowing the Wrench handle to bear againstthe member 37 or the track rail to hold the wrench from rotating.

While a table E has been shown and described in detail for supportingthe vise unit, other suitable means may be substituted, such as, usingthe base of the vise unit itself by extending its base or supportingfeet B and B" to the rails and supporting the vise unit directlythereon, or by spacing the rails at such distance as to accommodate thefeet B and B". The vise B may also be supported on the rails byindividual attachments such as slides or rollers carried by the feet.

The apparatus is primarily for use in installations in which largediameter pipe is used and is adapted to be set up on the premises uponthe demo-untable frame, comprising the legs 25 and the bracing members26, 27, 28 and 29 which are bolted together by the bolts 30. When theapparatus is moved the vise unit B may be removed from the tracks andthe rest C and support D folded parallel with the rails which makes thehandling of the apparatus lighter, easier and more convenient.

While the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is notintended as a limitation as the scope of the invention is best definedin the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A machine for supporting and rotating cylindrical work pieces havingmeans for engaging one end of the cylindrical work piece and a rest forrotatably supporting the opposite end Of the said work piece wherein therest comprises; a closable casing having an opening therethrough, aplurality of leaf springs having one end of each of the springs attachedadjacent the inner surface of the opening through the casing, theopposite ends of the said springs extending inwardly toward the centerof the opening and being radially movable relative to the center of theopening, means carried by the casing adapted to engage said opposite endof the leaf springs for adjustable limiting at least their outwardmovement.

2. A pipe handling apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) an elongated track consisting of two spaced parallel correspondingrails, each ofthe rails having a vertical portion and horizontalparallel flanges extending along the adjacent surfaces of the verticalportions of said rails;

(b) a vise having rotatable jaws for supporting one end of the pipe andmeans for rotating said jaws;

(0) means adajcent one end of the track for movably supporting the saidvise along the said track;

(d) said vise supporting means comprising a carriage provided withrollers adjacent its outer lateral edges for rotatably engaging a singleflange of each of the rails of said track;

(e) a fixed rest adjacent the opposite end of the track having anopening therethrough for rotatably supporting the opposite end of thepipe within said opening when rotated by the jaws to perform work on thepipe.

3. A pipe handling machine as claimed in claim 2 having means forpreventing the rotation of at least one of the said rollers to provide abrake for the carriage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Wood 82-39 X Cole82-39 Hoadley 1089 Sampson 1089 Boax 10-107 Burt 82-8 Nonneman 1089Pirone 10-89 WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

F. T. YOST, Assistant Examiner.

1. A MACHINE FOR SUPPORTING AND ROTATING CYLINDRICAL WORK PIECES HAVINGMEANS FOR ENGAGING ONE END OF THE CYLINDRICAL WORK PIECE AND A REST FORROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SAID WORK PIECE WHEREIN THEREST COMPRISES; A CLOSABLY CASING HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, APLURALITY OF LEAF SPRINGS HAVING ONE END OF EACH OF THE SPRINGS ATTACHEDADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OPENING THROUGH THE CASING, THEOPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SAID SPRINGS EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTEROF THE OPENING AND BEING RADIALLY MOVABLY RELATIVE TO THE CENTER OF THEOPENING, MEANS CARRIED BY THE CASING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID OPPOSITE ENDOF THE LEAF SPRINGS FOR ADJACENT LIMITING AT LEAST THEIR OUTWARDMOVEMENT.